Gina Writz never considered herself a prairie dog advocate, but when she heard two colonies could be exterminated near her home because of land development deals, she took action.
“It disgusted me,” Writz said. “I can’t drive by this land knowing that (the prairie dogs) are being killed.”
The land Writz is referring to is at South Wadsworth Boulevard and Coal Mine Avenue, where lots on both the northwest and northeast corner will soon see development after being sold by the Foothills Park and Recreation District.
Thanks to Writz and some other advocates, the prairie dog colonies on both lots are going to be saved and relocated to open space owned by the Ken-Caryl Ranch Master Association between West Bowles and Ken Caryl avenues on the west side of C-470.
Volunteers are in the process of trapping and moving the prairie dogs and taking them to their new homes. The focus is to get the prairie dogs out of the northwest corner of . Construction could start as early as the end of October.
“I want to get every last one,” said Sandy Nervig, a prairie ecosystems consultant and owner of Growing Ideas. Nervig has experience trapping prairie dogs and is working as a volunteer on this project.
The process of relocating the prairie dogs was a long and arduous one as Foothills Park and Recreation District declined to move them to any of its other locations. There was some land by the Federal Correctional Institution near
West Quincy Avenue and South Kipling Street, but the prison did not allow the relocation.
Deb Jones, a prairie dog advocate and the president of the nonprofit Prairie Dog Action, said she heard from a member of a prairie dog task force in Ken-Caryl who said her group would be relocating some prairie dogs within Ken-Caryl to the open space. After several meetings, the master association allowed the prairie dogs from the Coal Mine-and-Wadsworth lots.
“We needed land, they had it. It made it a win-win for everybody,” Jones said.
Foothills Park and Recreation executive director Ron Hopp said the district’s biggest issue was not having enough funds to participate in assisting with the relocation. However, the developer on the northwest parcel, Emerus Development Co., provided $10,000.
“We were pleased they were able to find a site and find a new home for the prairie dogs in those corners,” Hopp said.
Writz said the $10,000 from Emerus is being given to the Ken-Caryl Master Association to help with its relocation next year. Writz and other advocates are raising the money themselves to pay for the relocation from Wadsworth and Coal Mine.
The group is still looking for volunteers to help complete the relocation. For more information, e-mail Writz at lolany07@gmail.com.
“Everyone said it couldn’t be done, and it’s done,” Writz said.
The relocation had to be approved by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and a permit was signed by Foothills Park and Recreation and the Ken-Caryl Ranch Master Association as well as Jones and her nonprofit group.
Jones said it’s rare for prairie dog colonies to move between different jurisdictions and praised the Ken-Caryl Ranch Master Association for taking them on.
“These people were thinking outside the box and seeing opportunity to benefit them by working with us,” Jones said. “We were excited to set up a relationship with them.”
Joe Vaccarelli: 303-954-2396, jvaccarelli@denverpost.com or
